Charges: Man breaks into St. Paul police station, takes police radio

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A 34-year-old St. Francis man has been charged with second degree burglary after breaking into the St. Paul Police Department Western District Office.

According to the criminal complaint, on Sunday at 3 p.m., Jason Bradley Phyle parked his car at the Herberger's Department Store at University Avenue and Hamline Avenue and then jumped the fence to the police department.

After looking into cars in the employee parking lot, he forced the employee-only door open and went inside.

Once inside, Phyle looked around the garage and went through officers' belongings. After looking through items at the front desk, he took an officer's official police-issued radio and left the police station and went to the nearby Target.

He was inside the the police station for a total of about six minutes.

"That's a time of day when afternoon officers are coming in and dayside officers are going home for the evening. So its a very busy time and to not run into someone is pretty surprising," Sgt. Mike Ernster said.

After leaving the police station, he went inside a nearby Target. He got on the radio and told police dispatch that unknown men chased him at high speeds from Wisconsin into St. Paul. He later admitted to dispatch he was using a police officer's radio and laughed. He told dispatch he was at the Target and what he was wearing.

Phyle appeared "paranoid" at the time and admitted to snorting meth the day before. He told police he had been chased in St. Paul and wanted police to pull him over because he was driving at high speeds, so he went to the police department.

Phyle has a history of at least five previous burglaries in Minnesota.